The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1887-05-05
WHITE HOUSE EXPENSES.
What 1t Costs To Care For and Maintain
the Presidents Home.

the Presidents Home.
Nearly every good housewife "cleans
house" once or twice q year. and the
ran~;.,:. OF the nations Chief Executive
do.,, lot eSca pe the annual re- uvenation
which is characteristic Of American home
lire
Unlike most private houses, however.
thu " tie House undergoeS It's over
hsul;n- in the summer time while its
occ':p, Is are off on their annual outing
t. work furnishes employment for a
small ..rmy Of servants for a score of
da, or more.
Notwi.t standing the fact that the man.
sio.: : .e { in good order at all times,
the a-;:.,;a' housecleaning never fails to
, do, :,=.iiev OF work to be done, and
sec.per-, scruboers and busters hold
hiSa c~r.ival during the continuance of
their L 4.
The upper az well as the lower eoor
underSoes the process OF reluvenation.
The musty old books in the library,
many OF them dating back to he days OF
Dolly Madison and Susan NJ nros.. are
all taken out and dustei. The two
pianos in the house are tuned up, and
when tie doors are finally pcned TO the
public the house is in the n ost exquisite
order and ready for another years siege
of dinners and receptions.
As may lie we'll imagined. IL costs a
very pretty penny to keep the establish
the house in order 70: the next year,
which became available on July l5t, is
not by any means ali that has been Sp.' mt
upon the mansion s.nce President Cleve-
la'r! took possession.
cir. Arthur left large cash balance
une pended of the last ap, ropriatlon
during his term, according To a time
houored Gu tom that The outgoing Pres
i,Ieu sl.ali leave lump sum iOr the in
coming President to make any changes
he May desire
Notniug new has been bought in the
house since Mr.. Arthur left it in such
complete and beautiful order 1t IN
dcu1tedly, though requires q large sum
to keep it in conditio
Tie leaning Of .i;e huge crystal chan
dcIier5 S Il consiiera bic item Of expense.
The whole lower fOor is lighted by the5:
enormous crystals, .ach one with thou
sands OF pendant. here ar 20 less
thai three dozen of these chandeliers in
the Last +, ON. the Ble, Red, an.
Gree rooms, the two diniuS-roonS and
the corridors. and Cnce year each one
has 20 be taken to pieces and every part
caxesllly l:ancd and nut back Il! It's
place.
The care OF tho carpets and curtains;
also requires the Spending of money.
| The handsome lace draperie5 are torn at
near every reception, and these have
| to be carefully repaired, to say nothing
| OF lii., king down two or three times g
| yea ts4 lie washed ami darned.
| ooiu4 people wonder how the President
! ca. ~ out OF his salary the numerous
! Expenses attached to MS o-.ce.
/ There are separate appropriations.
| Besides his salary OF $4,000, he est
| mate presented 10 Congress III s session
| aske Tor $50, 064 additional, 10 pay the
saisa.ies OF his subordi,. ate- and CLERKS
His private secretary Is paid 8 %,
! Ii . distant private slt:'Cs';aly s. p, MS
S enog: ap.."r 81 500, Ave e. s;.-'-fa
(e ely = 80, a steward $500, tWo 5,s Y
IL .ers who each get &l,-t1, fcur o. eZ
clerks at good salaries, on tc," -: il
operator, two 1snere. Setai 3 S1,zvJ and
sl,4o0; a night usher, getting 81, 800; a
watchman, who gets $500, and man to
take care of fires, who receives 1854 a
year.
In addition TO this there is set down
eS.cG0 for incidental expenses, such as
stijionrr carpets, and the care OF the
iI2s.' .e5l = stables.
And ur,:l on, under another head
ing, TIL r. is demand for nearly SO, 600
more Oh this. SO, 500 is for repairs and
furnishing. the White House, s., 500 for
f.l.i. $1,000 for the greenhouse, and
$4,000 for gas and the care of the
Stables.
The White House, all told, costs the
countrr, n connect n with the Presi-
dent, considerably over S125, 200 year,
and at that rate it is cheaper, relatively
to the wo~k done, than the service OF
Congress. Washington Letter.